Sharma was born in Bangalore, but her parents are from Uttarakhand. Her father, Col. Ajay Kumar Sharma, is an army officer and her mother Ashima Sharma is a housewife. She has an elder brother named Karnesh, who was a state-level cricketer and is now in the Merchant Navy. She studied in Army School and graduated with specialization in arts from Mount Carmel College, Bangalore. She then moved to Mumbai to further her modeling career.

Sharma says she originally wished to make it big in the modeling world but had no strong aspirations for films. She began her modeling career at the Lakme Fashion Week as a model for Wendell Rodricks’s Les Vamps Show and was picked to be Rodricks’s finale model at the Spring Summer ’07 Collection. Since then she has done campaigns for Silk & Shine, Whisper, Nathella Jewelry and Fiat Palio.

Her first acting role was in Aditya Chopra’s Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008) opposite Shahrukh Khan. The film was a huge success and her performance was appreciated. Film critic Taran Adarsh said, “Anushka looks the character and surprises you with a confident performance. It’s no small achievement to share screen space with an actor of the caliber of SRK and Anushka manages it very well from start to end.” Her second film, Badmaash Company, also under Yash Raj Films, was released on May 7, 2010. She was praised for breaking out of the shell of the conservative and homely Taani to play the feisty and independent Bulbul, and her performance was applauded.

Sharma’s first venture outside the Yash Raj banner was Patiala House directed by Nikhil Advani and co-starring Akshay Kumar. Patiala House was released on February 11, 2011. Despite the film’s lukewarm performance at the box office, Sharma received positive reviews. Nikhat Kazmi of The Times Of India wrote, “Anushka Sharma’s vivacity may have an after taste of her bubbling Band Baaja Baraat act but her passage from Janakpuri’s dhinchak girl to Southall’s siren is sweet and smooth. Watch out for the girl; she’s truly on a roll.”

In December 2011, she re-united with her Band Baaja Baarat team of Ranveer Singh and Maneesh Sharma for Yashraj Films‘s Ladies vs Ricky Bahl. Despite negative media perception, the film was a moderate success at the box office.

In 2012, Sharma appeared in Yash Chopra‘s swan song, the romance Jab Tak Hai Jaan alongside Shah Rukh Khan and Katrina Kaif. Whilst the film was commercially successful and earned a mostly positive reception from critics, her portrayal of the ambitious Discovery Chanel reporter Akira Rai, fetched her positive reviews from critics, with Adarsh noting: “She’s an integral part of this story and it must be said that she walks away with some of the best scenes and lines in the movie. Her performance is full of grit.”[23][24] This would be her second film with Shah Rukh Khan, opposite whom she made her Bollywood debut with Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi and her fifth collaboration with the production house, Yash Raj Films. Additionally, for her role, she won the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Sharma was last seen in Vishal Bharadwaj‘s Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola, a political satire set in the rustic surroundings of a village in Haryana. Co-starring alongside Pankaj Kapur, Imran Khan and Shabana Azmi, Sharma played the role of Bijlee Mandola, a strong headed, girl who is also a spoilt brat. Despite the hype, the film generated mixed reviews from critics[25] and underperformed at the box office. Whilst many critics noted that Sharma was being stereotyped as the loud, bubbly girl, Sharma’s performance attracted mixed reviews from critics, much like the film. Raja Sen noted that she “is great in a couple of scenes near the climax,”[28] though Kanika Sikka was more critical, calling her performance “unconvincing.”

Sharma’s father, Col. Ajay Kumar Sharma, is an army officer and her mother Ashima Sharma is a housewife. She has an elder brother named Karnesh, who is in the Merchant Navy. She studied in Army School and graduated with specialization in arts from Mount Carmel College, Bangalore. She later moved to Mumbai to further pursue her modelling career, where she currently resides

Before coming in acting industry, Anushka Sharma wanted to make her name in modelling world. She began her modelling career at the Lakme Faishion Week. Anushka Sharma has also done campaigns for Fiat Palio, Silk & Shine, Whisper and Nathella Jewelry.

Trade Mark:

This model turned actress has indeed got the best dressing sense in the B town.

She has glorified her beauty with perfect clothing, makeup and jewellery. It was heard that Off late Anushka Sharma has been channeling Sonam Kapoor’s past looks.

Trivia:

In her short career, Anushka Sharma has already been linked with her Band Baaja Baarat co-star Ranveer Singh.

Personal Quotes:

On memories of her first walk on the ramp: That was long time back when I was only 15. I was told that I should walk just like I walk on the streets and that’s exactly what I did. Trust me it was really bad, but it was a great learning experience for me. I was very very very nervous; I started watching fashion shows and reading on fashion. Then I got really involved in it. And with the help of the models who taught me here I am. Now I think I can walk well on the ramp.

On what she does when she isn’t modeling: I meet up with my friends; catch up on sleep. I love reading. I’m doing my majors in economics through correspondence because of the lack of time.

My hair is quite healthy. Since I have a contract with Sunsilk they do all the protein treatments for me. The hair pack that they apply makes my hair healthy.

I am blessed with very good skin, but because of the damage from all the make up we apply and pollution I wash my face regularly. I drink lots of water and try to be happy.